The Scientific Method
📋 What it is
A case is solved by the scientific method: form a hypothesis, test it against evidence, and revise if it fails.
🗣️ Coach says
Good investigators think like scientists. Form a hypothesis (“the window was forced”), then TEST it against evidence. If the evidence disagrees, change the hypothesis — never the evidence. The theory must fit the facts, not the reverse.
🧠 Memory hook
Make a hypothesis, test it on the evidence — if it fails, change the theory, never the facts.
😂 Giggle
Why did the DNA strand go to school?
To improve its genetic makeup!
😲 Whoa!
The biggest mistake real detectives make is “confirmation bias” — deciding who’s guilty first, then only noticing evidence that fits. The scientific method guards against exactly that.
✅ Quick check: Your theory says the door was locked, but evidence shows it was open. What changes?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
The theory — evidence wins; you revise the hypothesis to fit the facts, never bend facts to fit the theory.
The scientific method makes theories answer to evidence.
🪄 Trick question: Is it good science to keep a theory even after evidence contradicts it?
Careful — think it through, then reveal.
No — that’s confirmation bias; strong reasoning updates the theory when evidence disagrees.
Ignoring contrary evidence is a reasoning failure, not persistence.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Make a guess about something (why a plant wilted), then look for evidence that would prove you WRONG.